Yamaha MX400-B on Swapmeet.

[firko]

This is what appears to be a clean, unmolested example of what is arguably Yamaha's greatest ever open class bike (when compared to the period opposition). Two complete bikes plus an extra engine allows you to do a 10 point resto on one and build a tricked up pre 78 racer with the other or...build them both and sell one to help finance the import and building of the other. Either way it's a good price even if it is in geographically undesirable Ilinois.

                                                                         
                                                                          http://www.vintagemx.us/cgi-bin/largephoto.cgi?C=NE7Fwfz13QP484wq&w=2                                         
 


FOR SALE
Ad # 3215838 May 5, 2013
 
for sale: mx400 yamaha the photo with the blue grips is how i got it , the other photo with the engine out is the same bike i put a tank on it that didn't have the paint rubbed off it ran good but had a ticking noise i pulled the engine to work on it and never got to it.i also have another one just like it not in quite as good of shape but not bad also with engine out i have enough stuff to make 2 bikes plus a extra engine and some top ends and a couple new pistons all for $700 central IL .about the only thing missing is 1 air box .if interested email me or call for more info or photos

     John Laurent
Hillsboro, IL
Phone: 217 710 8258 | Email | Website
Registered Since 10/1/2004 | 380 Posts

 

[Rossvickicampbell]

just bought a NOS airbox for one of these to!  Firko - when talking about the B do you mean for the year it is so good - was wondering why it would be better than a YZ 400C but then that was 76?

[firko]

just bought a NOS airbox for one of these to!  Firko - when talking about the B do you mean for the year it is so good - was wondering why it would be better than a YZ 400C but then that was 76?

iI could have worded it better I guess .....What I meant was that when the 400-B came out in 1975 there arguably wasn't an open class within a cooee of it. All other great Yamahas came out in the same year as another company's great bike...The YZ-C at the same time as the RM-B, AW Maico and GP360 Husky, the YZ465 H at the same time as the 490 Maico and so on. Even the legendary YZ360 A and B were up against the brilliant '74 Maico 400GP and Husky 400. Using that as a guide I figure that the MX400-B being head and shoulders above the opposition in 1975 I would place it as the greatest Yamaha open classer. I had a '74 440 Maico which I thought was the ducks guts at the time but when I had a guest ride on a mates 400-B I was hooked.

[Davey Crocket]

Vern Grayson reckons they where the best Yamaha ever made [MX400B].....and he was sponsored on one....when the C came out in 76, he retired as a Pro....biggest shitbox ever....YZ125C was the king of 125's in 75 Firko....that little bike made Suzuki bring out 2 models in one year (3 actually if you include the TM)...RM125M that became the S....game changer.....76, the yellow peril took over....the mighty RM A's...77 there where lots to choose from.

[Purple Dave]

Best bike I ever raced.......However, mine was standard, not on methanol, so lacked the top end speed to match the Hagon JAPs and Jawas in" A" grade Short Circuit, but I won a lot of Club stuff on it...

[JohnnyO]

Firko is right, in 1975 most of Australia's top A graders were on MX400b's..
Davey when I first remember Vern in '76 he was racing a YZ360a with laydown shocks because he preferred it over the C model.

[Slakewell]

MX 400B is a great bike with a killer motor nice and smooth with top end speed and real working brakes!. GP 360 Husky whilst a better bike needed carefull set up and had a slower engine.
It would have been a no brainier back in the day. You could make a great pre 78 bike from one with some aftermarket forks.